Beyond the BRICS: Global powers as partners in bi- and multilateral cooperation

In Cooperation with the German Federal Office

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Experts in the fields of science, politics and economics from German, European and international institutions came together at the German Foreign Office in Berlin on 13 November 2012 at a workshop entitled: "Beyond the BRICS: Global powers as partners in bi- and multilateral cooperation". The GIGA and the German Foreign Office organized this workshop to provide a forum to discuss strategies and dealings with economically and politically successful states beyond the so-called "BRICS" states, in order to assess the potential for German and/or European partnerships with these countries. The starting point was a concept published by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany at the beginning of 2012, which introduced the term "neue Gestaltungsmächte" ("new global powers").

Speakers and discussants included representatives from the German Foreign Office and various federal ministries, as well as researchers and experts from the GIGA, other think tanks (GIZ, OECD, SWP), and various universities (FU Berlin, Göttingen, Tübingen, Vienna).

This conference was the third in a series of cooperative events organized by the GIGA and the German Foreign Office on discourse surrounding global power shifts and German politics. The opening event took place on 1 March 2012 and dealt with the BRICSA countries and their alliances as a challenge for German and European politics. The second workshop, which took place on 12 June 2012, dealt with the EU and its strategic partnerships with new players.